CONSULTANTS

Have a question about your horse’s health, care or training? Our experts offer solutions for a range of equine-management problems. Write to EQUUS Consultants, P.O. Box 7510, Falls Church, Virginia 22040; email: EQLetters@aimmedia.com. Send photos when helpful.

DENTAL HEALTH

What to do about wolf teeth

Q: Is it still routine to remove a horse’s wolf teeth, even if they aren’t bothering him at all?

Steven Burrows
Stockton, California

A: The answer to this question is both yes and no. It is important to understand that the wolf teeth themselves almost never actually bother the horse but, in some limited cases, they can interfere with performance.

For some background, the wolf teeth are the horse’s first premolars. They sit directly in front of and in contact with the second premolar teeth but are not shaped like the remainder of the horse’s cheek teeth (the premolars and molars collectively). The canine teeth are often confused with wolf teeth by horse owners, but understanding the difference is essential. While the canines erupt closer to the incisors and are still large teeth with long roots, the wolf teeth are vestiges of prehistoric development that serve no function in the modern horse and therefore